Curse of the Time Lords
by Hipster Time Lady
Summary: Three Time Lords on one TARDIS can cause a bit of conflict, and there just so happens to be two new  but not really new  Gallifreyans onboard Sexy. Unfortunately, the Doctor can't exactly get rid of them. Not an OC story!
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor danced around the TARDIS and tugged levers, pushed buttons, and twisted dials. He had just dropped Amy and Rory off for the last time, and now he had to find a new place to be, new faces to surround himself with. He tapped a few random numbers into the keyboard; he didn't care about the particular time or place. Just new. He wanted new.

The TARDIS set off into the vortex, loud and powerful. The Doctor sat back in the worn yellow chair near the controls and twirled a fez on his fingertip. The whole world at his fingertips. But alone, it wouldn't be nearly as fun.

Still, he had Sexy. Maybe she was all he needed, really. Hadn't it always been them? The Doctor and his TARDIS, the TARDIS and her Doctor. Maybe he didn't need anyone new. Maybe.

On the other hand, he and the TARDIS couldn't communicate. Oh, how the Doctor wished they could. He missed the day he could talk to her and get a real response. He still got a bit too emotional when he remembered her saying hello for the first- and last- time.

No, no, he couldn't keep thinking about. He needed something to occupy his mind. For the love of Rassilon, he was alone for five minutes and he couldn't stop himself from marinating in his own woes. It was almost sad.

But he was fine. He was always fine, wasn't he? He was the king of fine. So of course he was fine. Well, that was what he told himself.

"Alright, enough of this pity party," he murmured, jumping out of his chair and running back to the controls, looking for something, anything he could do. He could only push a few buttons and stroke the console gently while he waited to land. Why did the TARDIS suddenly decide to fly perfectly? It was just unfair. Desperate for something to do, he walked down the corridor and peeked his head in a multitude of doors; all the rooms Sexy had saved, even after all this time.

Rose's room. That sent an unwelcome pain through his chest, so he quickly ducked out and moved on to the next. Martha's room. No pain, just a fond warmth. He saw the door to what he suspected was Donna's room and passed over it completely. Out of everyone, Donna's departure still hit him the hardest. She didn't even know who he was. She didn't have memories of him, like Martha, or a second him, like Rose. If she so much as looked at him, she would die. It was tearing at his hearts to think about it, so he quickly made his way to the kitchen. He could really use some fish fingers and custard.

He sat and ate for a while, twirling the breaded fish in the thick cream. He focused on the task at hand. His mind would not wander. He wouldn't let it.

Still, it was difficult, concentrating on something such a medial task, especially with his superior Time Lord brain. He found his thoughts wandering, flashes of faces, the occasional solid memory sneaking into his mind's eye. Yes, he really needed a new companion. Being alone wasn't fun at all.

Finally, with a familiar wail, the TARDIS finally landed. The Doctor sprung to his feet and ran excitedly to the door, anxious to see wherever it was that his random button-pushing had landed him.

It wasn't Earth, that much was clear. The sky was a warm peach, and the air smelled sweeter, less… Earthy. The grass was yellow, and the sun was a deep purple color, clashing oddly with the pink clouds. To his complete and utter surprise, he had no idea where he was.

"Sexy, you've done it again," he murmured affectionately, running his fingers over the smooth grain of the door. With one last pat, he locked the TARDIS and swaggered toward the village in the distance. At least he didn't have to worry about Amy complaining about how far a walk it was. Silver linings.

The village was very clean and busy, with tall buildings made of reflective glass and shiny carts spilling over with fancy merchandise. The accents were unlike any he'd heard before, so the TARDIS wasn't translating it for him. This was an English-speaking planet.

The people, for the most part, were humanoid. There was an odd Ood (odd Ood; he'd have to remember that one) or Judoon around, but nobody spared them a second glance. It was comforting, to the Doctor. This planet clearly wasn't hostile to alien life.

"Excuse me," he said, catching the attention of a nearby merchant. The man looked up and smiled charmingly, obviously hoping the Doctor was looking to buy something. "I was just wondering what planet this is?"

To his credit, the man looked only mildly surprised that the Doctor had no clue where he was. "This is Fritania, sir. Beautiful place!"

So the Doctor _had _heard of it. He wasn't surprised he had never been, though; it was a pleasure planet, full of spas, movie theaters and amusement parks. Terribly boring for a man like him, who had seen so much in his life. Really, sitting for two hours in the dark, not talking? Movies (and the like) were useless when he _could _be out exploring.

"Great, thanks," he said absently, already walking away from the now frowning man.

An Ood spotted him and tilted its head to the side, observing him carefully. The Doctor paused and tried to decipher if he knew this particular creature. It was very hard, telling them apart. They all had the same faces and voices, it was very confusing.

"Ah, Doctor, how nice to see you again."

A smile blossomed on the Doctor's face. "Ood Sigma! Long time no see."

"Doctor. I see your song ended," he commented mildly in his smooth, patient voice. A slight frown marred the Doctor's brow.

"Yes, well, had to happen eventually. I saw it coming, I had time to prepare." That wasn't exactly a lie. He had time. But he hadn't been ready for it. His past-self's last words still felt etched in his mind, that little corner that was stuck on brown pinstripe suits and Rose Tyler. "You made sure of that."

Ood Sigma considered him for a moment, his head tilted to the side once more. "Indeed. And I feel it is only fair to warn you of another great obstacle, Doctor."

Dread pooled in the Doctor's stomach. "Excellent. Um, go on then, I suppose. Better sooner than later, they say."

Ood Sigma was quiet for a minute, just staring at the Doctor with sharp eyes. "You are not alone." Then, with a turn of his heel, he disappeared into the crowd, and no matter how much the Doctor called after him, he didn't respond.

He was not alone? What the hell did that mean? The Doctor wasn't sure if he should feel elated or horrified. After all, when the Face of Boe said he wasn't alone, he had gotten a big ball of terror and death and other no good, very bad things. Though seeing a fellow Time Lord had been exciting at first, he just lost him in the end. He wasn't sure if he could handle it again.

He fought through the crowd a while longer, but he ended up just getting lost. Ood Sigma really was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, hell," the Doctor swore. His voice, though quiet at first, grew in volume and anger. "You can't just leave a person bloody hanging like that!"

**So, this story was born when a young girl named Em lost her internet for a week and ended up writing over twenty thousand words out of pure boredom. I finished this story AND am almost done with its sequel. So I hope you like it. If you don't, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with all the other chapters...**

**Also, who do you think the first Time Lord/Lady is? There's so few to choose from, so I'm sure one of you will get it right. Anyone want to try and get both? I'm curious as to your guesses! So REVIEW and let me know :)**

**-Em**


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor ran around, trying to sense another Time Lord presence. Nothing was working; he had searched the entire town with no results. Finally, as he started darting down alleyways in desperation, a kind looking woman stopped him and asked if he needed any help. It hadn't crossed his mind to ask.

"Yes, yes… I was wondering if maybe you heard anything about a Time Lord in these parts?" he asked. The woman hesitated.

"Well, there are rumors about a girl…. Don't know her name. She dresses so strangely, and she acts old, even though she's such a young thing. That's not the weird part, though." The woman leaned forward, her eyes darting from side to side suspiciously. The pose seemed so natural that the Doctor assumed she was a seasoned gossip. "She has this silver fob watch. Nothing special, right? But it gives off these weird vibes, and people swear that sometimes they can hear voices from it. I've heard a few say that there's this old myth that Time Lords can keep their essences in watches like that." She stood up and smoothed out her skirt. "That's all I know, sadly. Otherwise, not much. Well, I've heard of the Doctor," she said "but he's never been here, so I doubt he's who you're talking about."

The Doctor beamed and pulled her into a hug. "Brilliant! This is completely brilliant! Oh, a Time Lady!" He put his hands on her shoulders and stared intently into her eyes. "Where is this woman, with the fob watch? Not in this town, is she?"

"Uh, no!" she stuttered. She looked positively frightened, but the Doctor didn't really have time to care. "She's two towns over. About thirty miles north!"

The Doctor let her go and sprinted all the way back to the TARDIS. He was very out of breath by the time he got to her, but he still managed to set the coordinates in record time, and then he was there, in the village where this woman supposedly lived.

He sensed the presence the minutes he stepped out of his old girl. He followed it doggedly, his excitement getting the better of him. Finally, he was led to a small park, where a girl clutching a silver watch sat on a wooden bench, looking contemplative.

She was young, very young. Eighteen, maybe seventeen. She had wild, wavy hair that fell to her shoulders, pale skin, and a heart-shaped face. She wore no makeup other than thick winged eyeliner. She looked completely out of place from everyone else in the village, with their sleek hair and pleated slacks. She was young and seemed more Earth than Fritania. The Doctor took a seat next to her, but she paid him no mind.

"Hello," he said pleasantly. She looked over at him warily.

"Hello," she echoed quietly. Her accent seemed American. Again, further proof she wasn't from here.

"I'm the Doctor."

Her eyebrows flew up, hiding behind her bangs. Even so, she looked mostly unimpressed. "Are you now?"

"I am," he said.

"Good for you, I guess."

"I suppose," he said uneasily. "I've heard some things about you. About that watch. And I need to know if they're true."

Her eyes flashed. "It's just a watch. Not a good one, either. It's broken. The damn thing won't even open up."

"That's what it's programmed to do," he said gently. "When a Time Lord sets themselves up to a Chameleon Ark, they can program the watch to be unnoticeable or, in your case, impossible to open. Until," he emphasized, "the Time Lord becomes very focused on it. Conscious of what that watch represents. That's the important part." He paused, then held out his hand. "May I see?"

"If this really is what you say it is," she replied, "why should I give it to you? If my so-called 'Time Lord essence' is in here, I shouldn't let just anyone take it, should I?"

The Doctor smiled smugly. "Well, I'm the Doctor. I'm not just anyone." He gently reached for it, and to his surprise, she didn't fight. After a quick examination of the watch, he was unsurprised to see that the markings were that of the watch both he and the Master had used in their human stints.

"So?" she asked. Her voice was bored, but when the Doctor saw her expression, there was a little anxiety etched into her features.

"It seems Gallifreyan," he admitted quietly. She let out a shuddering sigh and nodded slightly.

"I figured something was wrong with it," she admitted. "People always act so scared of it… I should have listened when people said it was talking." She laughed unevenly. "All those people heard it… I couldn't even hear myself."

"What's your name?" he asked gently.

"Mary." Her voice hitched.

"Mary," he repeated, smiling fondly. "Well, Mary, I'm sorry to say that I'm really going to need you to open that watch."

She took the watch from his hands and turned it over a few times in her hands. "Sorry?"

"Yes," he replied uneasily. "You won't be you anymore, if you do open it. The girl inside will take over."

Mary's eyes shut painfully. "Oh," she breathed. "Well, that's unfortunate."

"I really am sorry." And he was. When he thought about it too much, the fact that Time Lords so carelessly created life to just to destroy it without thought of the person they would be. John Smith was a rough part of his life, especially the man's end.

"Isn't there something you could do?" she begged. "Find another body for her or something?"

"You'd give someone else's life to save your own?" he countered.

"I hadn't thought of that," she whispered. She looked so small. Her shoulders were hunched in, like she was shielding herself from reality. "Wow. I thought I had a while longer than this, you know?" She laughed again, so breathy and sad. "I mean, I never left this city. I was going to travel when I was old enough, you know. I was saving money. My plans were Earth. I was born there. I mean I think I was. Probably wasn't really, I guess, if what you say is true."

The Doctor formulated a plan against his own will. It was harmless, though, wasn't it? Whoever was in the watch could wait. He could keep their travels safe. One week. He could take her for a week, right? Somewhere calm. Where he knew nothing bad would happen. Let her see the world before it all ended for her.

"What would you say if I told you I have a spaceship that can take us anywhere, in all of space and time?" he asked, a wry smile on his face. She looked at him cautiously.

"I would say good for you," she said suspiciously. In the Doctor's opinion, she didn't look nearly as excited as she should. It was a bit disappointing.

"No need to be coy! You know very well what I'm offering." He stood up and started pacing. "One week. One week to see the universe. You, Mary, will go out with a bang. What do you say?"

"One week… You can take me to Earth?" She looked almost troubled at the idea. "I mean, really truly? You aren't just messing with me?"

"I am a lot of things, Mary, but I am hardly cruel," he said jovially. "Let's go! Completely up to you where and when. Just say the word and we will be off!" He took her hand and dragged her up, to the direction of the TARDIS.

"Won't I need clothes? I mean, I won't need many, obviously, but still!" she protested.

"TARDIS has a wardrobe. Anything you could ever need is in there."

"Alright… How about New York? Don't really care about the time, I just want to see it in all its glory. Heard it's beautiful."

The Doctor smiled. "Excellent. Always did love New York. Never seen a more resilient group of people in my nine hundred years," he grinned. He dragged her into the TARDIS and immediately took up the task of setting the coordinates. "Geronimo!"

**Chapter two done! So Mary is a Time Lady. But she's not an OC! Well, her Time Lady part isn't. So there's a few possibilities. Very few. Like two or three that I can think of at the moment. So you'll have to try and figure out who it is! Also, you guys see her hesitance? She isn't as excited as she should be...**

**Preview for the next chapter: **

_The Doctor succeeded in getting them both hopelessly lost. It took about an hour to get back on track, but Mary wasn't complaining. She had a blast, seeing all the crazy natives in strange dress—there had even been a man in his underwear playing guitar. Still, she couldn't help but notice a strong, churning sadness settled in the pit of her stomach. _

**PLEASE REVIEW, LOVELIES. **

**-Em**

**Also, tell me about your holidays! Hope they were amazing. Mine sure was. I just so happen to be posting this chapter from a brand new laptop ;)**


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